"Lost in Translation" Review

Not every movie has to have a real plot structure, with a beginning, middle, and end. Sometimes, all you need is an interesting setup, likable characters, and an excuse to follow them around. Sofia Coppola went this route with Lost in Translation, and the characters are all that she needed to tell a fantastic story that's really hardly a story at all.

Bob Harris (Bill Murray) is a Hollywood actor that's fallen out of the limelight, who has come to Tokyo, Japan to film a series of whiskey commercials. Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson) is the wife of a photographer, who's also travelled to Tokyo. Both feel confused and lost in the alien Japanese culture, and are bored and unsatisfied in their marriages, and by chance, they meet up one day. The rest of the film follows their developing, and increasingly close, relationship.

Not much happens in Lost in Translation, but nothing really needs to. The characters wander around, baffled by the often-incomprehensible culture they are surrounded by- as does the audience. Viewers who speak Japanese are, interestingly, more likely to take away less from this film than those who do not. One memorable scene is the point where Bob is filming one of the advertisements, and the director enthusiastically gives long-winded instructions in Japanese. But when his interpreter (who clearly barely speaks English herself) tries to translate his instructions for Bob, all she can tell him is "he wants you to turn around and look at the camera, okay?"

I wouldn't go as far to say that this is a comedy film, even though it is very funny at times and it stars the beloved comedian, Bill Murray. The humor always has a sense of bitterness, it's always dry, and is always overshadowed by the unhappiness of the characters. Even as Bob and Charlotte grow closer together, and share more of their lives with each other, both still seem lonely and distant, and never really grow comfortable with themselves. Lost in Translation is funny, but the laughs are very, very sad.

It's rather impressive that Sofia Coppola would turn out to be such a great director, given that prior to her shift to behind the camera, she was best known for her wretched performance in The Godfather Part III, where her horribly stilted, awkward performance nearly ruined an otherwise stellar film. Those who can't do, teach, I guess. Or perhaps it's just the great-director genes of her dad, Francis Ford Coppola, rubbing off on her.

It helps that Coppola has two great actors to work with. Murray needs no introduction, and Johansson's turn as Charlotte helped lead her to a great career. They may be different roles, but Bob and Charlotte feel almost like the same character: snarky, sad, lonely, distant, and confused. Murray, especially, is perfect in the role of a former star who fell on hard times and had to turn to insignificant, lousy, yet well-paying jobs. Wonder where he got the inspiration?

There are other actors in the film, obviously, and they're all good too, but they're just background dressing. Excuses to bring Charlotte and Bob together again. The two lead characters are the only real characters.

And a movie like this doesn't need any more.

Awesome